MORE than 40 jobs will be created next month as a nightclub chain opens a £2.2m venue.

North-East group Vimac Leisure is launching an 800-capacity venue in the centre of Chester-le-Street, County Durham. The bar and club will be the first late-licence venue to open in the town for 20 years.

It is the fifth club in Vimac's Studio brand, which has proved a success in cities such as Durham and Glasgow.

Managing director Paul Mackings said: "The Chester-le-Street Studio is slightly different for us, in that we've designed and created it ourselves rather than acquiring and enhancing an existing venue.

"It's further evidence of our growth as a serious player in the leisure management industry."

The launch follows Vimac's recent investments in hotels and restaurants.

In February, the group spent £150,000 on two log cabins at its flagship Crab Manor hotel, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

A month earlier, it bought well-known Whitby seafood restaurant, Trenchers.

Vimac was founded in 2002 and is one of the leisure industry's fastest growing companies.

From a standing start, turnover has now passed £10m and it employs more than 700 people.

Mr Mackings said: "Creating such a substantial number of new jobs in our home region is very satisfying. Our research showed the clear demand for a high quality venue of this type in the area and we're confident that it will be just as successful as all our other thriving locations.

"We're now getting industry recognition as one of the UK's fastest up-and-coming leisure management firms, with the ability to make different kinds of venues extremely successful.

"Plans for further acquisitions, as well as additional investments in our existing properties are already well advanced and we would expect to have much good news to report during 2005."